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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28367190">At the Dock</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bramblepelt/pseuds/Bramblepelt'>Bramblepelt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Afterlife, Gen, Sad and Happy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:02:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,713</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28367190</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bramblepelt/pseuds/Bramblepelt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Noctis and Luna stand at the dock, waiting for their loved ones to join.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>At the Dock</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first to join them was Umbra. The black fuzzball of a dog had padded along up to the dock, tongue hanging from his mouth as he panted rapidly. Pryna was overcome with excitement to see her brother and best friend, and had run out to the sand to greet him. The two barked, yipped, and danced around each other, dipping into play bows and nipping playfully at each other’s ears. </p><p>For Luna, this felt like home. She had spent so many warm early mornings watching her two dogs do exactly this. Pryna ran back to her, barking and hopping on her paws, announcing her brother’s return. Luna kneeled to give her a good scratch behind her ear and reached her other hand out for Umbra to lick and snuggle into. Umbra fell into his usual tippy toe tap dancing routine he always did when he was happy.</p><p>Noctis felt a deep warmth wash over him at the sight. Those two dogs had done so much to keep Luna and himself in contact throughout those dark years. The four of them being all together for the first time in so long, here at this dock, with the sun so bright in the sky, was a bittersweet moment to take in.</p><p>Luna looked stunning, as always, in her white sundress, a knitted shawl over her shoulders, feet clad in comfortable strappy sandals. Noctis had slightly dressed down for the occasion, the sleeves of his black button up shirt rolled up to his elbows, matching his black slacks and dress shoes. He’d considered shaving before getting here, but Luna had insisted the facial hair looked very good on him, actually.</p><p>Behind them was his Father’s boat. It was primed and ready to set sail, but Noct and Luna weren’t. They had not planned to make this trip alone. There were still so many friends they had invited along, and all of them had RSVP’d yes.</p><p>It wasn’t much longer until Gladio arrived, a knowing smirk playing across his face while sauntering over to the dock. They had guessed he’d be the next one. His father had been the same way, and his grandfather as well. Always quick to join their King when asked to come along.</p><p>Gladio stood with them at the dock, filling the time with stories of what he’d been up to since Noct and Luna began their journey. He had tried to adjust to a new normal. But the calling that simmered in his blood was too strong. He’d been careless, thrown himself into fights wherever he saw someone using their power to exploit those weaker or less fortunate. He’d tried, Gods help him, for several years. And one fatal wound had left him on the ground, refusing the precious rare elixir offered to him from the kind stranger he’d protected. Gladiolus had been waiting a long time for that moment, and accepted it with the same confident smile he wore now.</p><p>The two welcomed him with overwhelming gratitude, for the life he had dedicated to protecting everything they held dear. But they still had a while to wait before they were ready to go.</p><p>The next to arrive came very quickly after. Friend of the family since before Noctis was born, ever loyal Marshal to the King’s forces, Cor Leonis had come. He opined how long it had taken, how he wished he had been here much, much sooner. But as it happened, he kept being needed elsewhere. And he would’ve kept on jumping into whatever situation he was needed in. Except for that pesky little pain that had gripped his chest, stolen his breath, and forced him into retirement.</p><p>He apologized for being late, and Noctis reassured him that he was right on time.</p><p>A great deal of time passed, filled with Cor’s stories of Noctis’ Father and the many incredible adventures they’d had together. Cor asked about Cid, figuring he’d be meeting him here. Luna informed him the older man had passed through, and was too impatient to wait for the rest. He’d complained that young people took too long, and his knees were too weak to wait around. So he’d continued on without them.</p><p>Luna had understood. So badly had she wanted to see her dear brother once again, but she knew their reunion would come in time. She wanted to be here, and take this journey. After all, she’d missed the last one and wanted to make up for it.</p><p>Cor gave a knowing laugh, and after a few moments of contemplation, decided that Cid was maybe on to something. He was anxious to see the dear friends from his own youth. After a few hugs and parting words, Cor wished them all a good day, and assured them he’d see them soon.</p><p>The five of them waited, quite awhile. They had expected to, of course, in fact they would have been disappointed if they didn’t have more time to catch up before their next guest. But the next one was there, too soon, all the same.</p><p>Ignis took his time walking through the sand and taking in the scenery around him. It had been awhile, Noct thought, since he’d been able to see the beach with his own eyes. But once he’d seen his friends waiting on him, he picked up his pace and greeted them with open arms.</p><p>Home had continued on in their absence. Buildings were constructed, families were started, people had come together to rebuild and something new and beautiful had begun to form. Ignis told them everything he knew about this new world forming from the ashes of their own sacrifices. It was a bit sad that they weren’t there to see it themselves, but knowing that life was going on exactly as they’d hoped more than made up for it.</p><p>Ignis came to the end of his tales of life after the dawn, and he began to tell them his last. An unfortunate illness had run through the community, and while it had been successfully contained before it could spread too far, Ignis had been one of the unfortunate few. That’s what he got, he sighed, for running into the heart of it all to help however he could. In his defense, no one had quite known yet how bad it would be. And he felt he had given a great deal of comfort to the suffering before he joined their numbers.</p><p>It was just like him, to put the needs of others before his own. And while it wasn’t how Noctis wanted him to be here, it was a perfectly Ignis way to do so regardless.</p><p>So much time had passed while Ignis caught them up, but it felt like no time at all. Thus it was a shock when another of their own had joined them at the dock. </p><p>Gladio was upset, of course, that Iris was here so soon. She’d had so much more to do, so many more things to experience before joining them. She’d angrily told him he had no right to scold her for such things. And she’d completed so many things on her list. She’d found love, a beautiful woman from lands far away. They’d met at a party held in some random guy’s basement. One of many that took place after the dawn, a way for those raised in the dark to work through everything that had changed in their brief lives and reclaim a youth once stolen. Iris had danced with her, and they’d kissed, and a whole new world had opened for her.</p><p>They had gone hand in hand into the horizon together, hunting demons that continued to threaten the innocent from the shadows. They’d adopted two little kids, each an orphan of the darkness, and given them the best home they could. Iris had lived a fulfilling life of adventure, love, family, and creation. Together with her wife they’d founded a home for orphaned children, and their son now ran it. </p><p>She couldn’t remember what had caused her to stop her work and come join them. It must have been very sudden, possibly a terrible accident. When asked if she planned to sail with them, she declined. She was going to wait, for what she hoped was a very long time, for a few others before joining them. Gladio, in spite of himself, understood.</p><p>The sun was beginning to finally set. It was almost time to go, but there was still one more invited guest that they simply could not continue on without. And before the sun could disappear behind the horizon, there he was, stopping to take a photograph of the scene. Noctis’ heart filled with a melancholy that overwhelmed his senses. Before he could stop himself he was breaking out into a sprint down the dock, unable to wait the thirty or so seconds it would take his friend to get there himself.</p><p>He threw his arms around Prompto before the guy could react. In that one fluid movement that sent the two backwards a few steps, they were twenty years old again. Dumb kids, free of worry and responsibility, getting ready to go on the trip of a lifetime.</p><p>“Sorry I took so long, dude.” Prompto said into Noct’s shoulder. “Turns out natural causes take awhile to do their thing.”</p><p>Noctis laughed, holding his best friend tighter. They probably should have gone back to the others by now, but he just needed this moment to last a tiny bit longer.</p><p>“Honestly I didn’t think I’d be the last one to show up, but things just got weird.” Prompto tried to explain.</p><p>“Yeah? You’ll have to tell me everything.” Noct threw his arm around his best friend’s shoulders as they started walking back to join the rest on the dock. The boat was ready, and everyone was anxious to see them again.</p><p>“Well, for starters, I met this injured dog. And it all kinda kicked off from there.” He lifted his camera. “I got a ton of photos of it all. Wanna take a look?”</p><p>“You know I do.” Noct smiled as they stepped back onto the wooden dock, the night sky greeting them with a gentle glow, illuminating the path that now lay ahead for them all.</p>
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